Best Trace Labs Podcasts (2025)

1
Lab Notes: The tiny beetle ravaging Perth's trees 14:49

12h ago14:49

14:49

It's the size of a sesame seed, but it could cause unfathomable destruction to Australia's forests and urban canopy. A beetle called the polyphagous shot-hole borer (Euwallacea fornicatus) is silently spreading through Perth and its surrounds, forcing councils to chop and chip hundreds of trees — even century-old Moreton Bay figs. So how does the t…

1
The Red Barn Murder 35:57

1d ago35:57

35:57

Happy solstice, listeners! Join our guest host this week, Sapphire Sandalo, for a summertime tale of betrayal, murder, and the bizarre journey of a criminal corpse. It's 1827, and the Marten family hasn’t seen 25-year-old Maria in five months, ever since she left home with plans to elope with William Corder. Whenever they ask about her, William alw…

1
Professor Roger Short, reproductive biologist 54:07

3d ago54:07

54:07

Roger Short (1930_2021) discusses influences in his early life, and some of his research achievements including melatonin as a controller of circannual rhythms, and aspects of reproductive biology across the animal world.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
Lab Notes: What makes Sydney's cockies so clever? 14:35

8d ago14:35

14:35

First they learnt how to flip open wheelie bin lids. Now they're using water fountains. Masters of the urban landscape, sulphur-crested cockatoos (Cacatua galerita) are more than capable of some quirky (and sometimes messy) antics. So what do these entertaining exploits tell us about cockie innovation — or even cockie culture?…

1
Zodiac or Bundy? The Unsolved Santa Rosa Hitchhiker Murders 37:32

9d ago37:32

37:32

In the 1970s, at least seven young women and girls go missing around Santa Rosa, California. Seven are found dead, and one remains unidentified. Several killers, including the Zodiac and Ted Bundy, were known to commit crimes in Northern California. Could one of them be responsible for the unsolved Santa Rosa Hitchhiker Murders, or is there yet ano…

1
Hang on – we’re about to enter a wormhole! 53:57

11d ago53:57

53:57

Get ready for gravitons, dark photons and transition states. Kathryn Zurek takes us on a tour of the bewildering world of quantum physics.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
Lab Notes: How microscopic algae can devastate ocean life 13:34

15d ago13:34

13:34

A couple of months ago, a killer started mobilising off the South Australian shore — one that would wipe out marine life, make surfers feel sick, and smother picturesque beaches in thick foam. The culprit? A bloom of tiny organisms called microalgae. We can't see them with the naked eye, but in big enough numbers, they can devastate ecosystems. So …

1
The Taco Bell Strangler: Henry Louis Wallace 32:59

16d ago32:59

32:59

His modus operandi is shocking: years before he strangled his victims, Henry Louis Wallace befriended them. By and large, they were his coworkers at Bojangles and Taco Bell. But under interrogation, he’d admit an even darker motive. Keep up with us on Instagram @serialkillerspodcast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoi…

1
Black white and green 54:36

18d ago54:36

54:36

People have been in the Australian wilderness for generations. But can people be considered part of the natural landscape or will they always have an impact?By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
Lab Notes: AI that outperforms humans is coming 14:41

22d ago14:41

14:41

If you were impressed by generative AI such as ChatGPT, then artificial general intelligence or AGI promises to really knock your socks off. Over the past couple of decades, tech companies have been racing to build AGI systems that can match or surpass human capabilities across a whole bunch of tasks. So will AGI save the world — or will it spell t…

1
The Shapeshifting Fugitive: Franklin Delano Floyd 36:39

23d ago36:39

36:39

A missing woman in Florida leads police to a fugitive who’s been on the run for 17 years. But that’s just the beginning. Franklin Delano Floyd not only becomes a suspect in that case, but he’s then tied to several unsolved murders, disappearances, and kidnappings dating back to the 1970s. For police, it will take decades to fully uncover the crimes…

1
Mary Somerville - Brilliant polymath, scientific genius triumphed against the odds 54:51

25d ago54:51

54:51

She could only read and write from age 10. She reared children and had a first unsupportive husband. But Mary Somerville was able to correct the work of Isaac Newton, help discover Neptune, and write a science book which became a university text.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
Lab Notes: Why a metre is a metre long 13:03

29d ago13:03

13:03

The next time you pick up a bag of spuds from the supermarket or fill up the car with petrol, you can thank the Treaty of the Metre for the metric system that underpins daily life. The treaty was signed exactly 150 years ago, when delegates from 17 countries gathered on a Parisian spring day to establish a new and standardised way of measuring the …

1
A Body in the Cellar: Hawley Harvey Crippen 34:20

30d ago34:20

34:20

When a boneless torso possibly belonging to a woman named Cora Turner is found in the cellar of a London home, the culprit seems almost obvious. Her husband, Dr. Hawley Harvey Crippen, seems to have disappeared with his mistress. But the true answer isn’t that easy. Nearly a hundred years later, some people are still wondering whether the police ca…

1
Evidence of oldest reptiles found in Victoria 53:03

1M ago53:03

53:03

Amateur fossil hunters make a major discovery. And Marilyn Renfree describes the sophisticated reproduction of marsupials.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
Lab Notes: The plight of the southern right whales 13:46

1M ago13:46

13:46

Southern right whales (Eubalaena australis) were named by whalers because their high oil content made them the "right" ones to kill. In the decades since whaling was banned, southern right numbers increased — but a new study shows that population growth stalled, and might've dropped a bit, despite current numbers still far below what they were in p…

1
"The Freeway Phantom": D.C.'s First Serial Killer? 34:17

1M ago34:17

34:17

“...catch me if you can!” Police find those words written on a note left in a jacket draped over a murder victim’s body. They believe the message comes from a serial killer targeting young women in the Washington, D.C. area, nicknamed the Freeway Phantom. But the handwriting? Belongs to someone else. Keep up with us on Instagram @serialkillerspodca…

1
Aging halted in fruit flies. How about humans? 53:02

1M ago53:02

53:02

David Walker at UCLA says he can halt aging in fruit flies. Can the same concepts be applied to humans? And two tertiary students and an artist describe combining science and artistic pursuits.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
Lab Notes: Why one man let deadly snakes bite him 200 times 14:05

1M ago14:05

14:05

Cobras, taipans, black mambas — Tim Friede's been intentionally bitten more than 200 times by some of the most venomous snakes on Earth. And he survived, mostly because years of self-injecting venom let him develop immunity to them. (Please do not try this yourself!) Now his blood's been used to make a broad-spectrum antivenom that researchers say …

1
Operation Trace: The Missing Women of Ireland's Vanishing Triangle 29:51

1M ago29:51

29:51

The eighty miles surrounding Dublin, Ireland, hold a chilling mystery. Between 1993 and 1998, at least six women disappeared in the area, and their cases remain unsolved. Police investigations have targeted at least one suspect, but still no one has been charged. The question remains: is a serial killer responsible for these disappearances? Keep up…

1
A happy 99th birthday to a friend of The Science Show 54:05

2M ago54:05

54:05

Mansi Kasliwal describes how she detects supernovae – the massive stellar explosions where elements are formed. We learn how dung beetles saved the Australian environment from the big problem, and David Attenborough shares his love for Birds-of-paradise.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
Lab Notes: Where's my needle-free vaccine? 14:01

2M ago14:01

14:01

Hate getting needles? You're in good company — one in five people in Australia have needle fear.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
Golden Years Killers Pt. 2 34:05

2M ago34:05

34:05

After getting away with murder in LA, retirees Helen and Olga scheme to kill again. But when an unlikely party sniffs out their crimes, the friends turn on each other. Keep up with us on Instagram @serialkillerspodcast! Have a story to share? Email us at [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adc…

1
The wonder of sharks surviving for 500 million years 53:50

2M ago53:50

53:50

Sharks have survived 500 million years while mass extinctions have wiped out other species. Now, sharks are under threat.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
Lab Notes: Why did NASA spend a billion bucks on Lucy? 13:00

2M ago13:00

13:00

Somewhere out past Mars in the early hours of Easter Monday, a space probe called Lucy whizzed by an asteroid named Donaldjohanson. Lucy then sent back images showing Donaldjohanson is about five kilometres wide and shaped like a peanut. It's one of a handful of asteroids on Lucy's 12-year itinerary. So what does the billion-dollar mission hope to …

1
Golden Years Killers Pt. 1 29:48

2M ago29:48

29:48

No one batted an eye at the two women who became fast friends at an LA gym in the 1990s – until years later, when it came out that they’d teamed up for a plot to kill men down on their luck. Keep up with us on Instagram @serialkillerspodcast! Have a story to share? Email us at [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit…

1
The power of palaeontology 52:38

2M ago52:38

52:38

Palaeontology helps reveal why some animals are in desperate need of help while others thrive.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
Lab Notes: Why sprinting sensation Gout Gout is so fast 12:49

2M ago12:49

12:49

Gout Gout is fast becoming the face of Australian athletics, regularly clocking blisteringly quick times over 100- and 200-metre sprints. And he's only 17. Many think the best is yet to come. So what is it about Gout that makes him such an impressive sprinter at such a young age?By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
The Doomsday Murders: Lori and Chad Daybell 41:38

2M ago41:38

41:38

In early 2020, the story of Lori Daybell and her new husband, Chad Daybell, hit national news. They’d seemingly fled to Hawaii while two of Lori’s children were missing, leaving a wake of mysterious deaths and attacks behind. The public and authorities pressed for answers, hoping Lori’s children would come home safely, while allegations of fringe, …

1
New findings show how genetic mutations drive autoimmunity. 54:05

2M ago54:05

54:05

A protein in the immune system, DECTIN-1 - primarily responsible for defending the body against fungal infections, has been found to control the severity of autoimmune diseases such as irritable bowel disease (IBS), type 1 diabetes, eczema, and other chronic disorders.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
Lab Notes: How to decommission a nuclear power plant 13:47

2M ago13:47

13:47

We've been hearing a lot about a certain proposal to get nuclear power up and running in Australia, but little's been said about what happens when plants reach the end of their life. Decommissioning a single nuclear power plant can cost hundreds of millions of dollars and take decades. So what's involved, and why is the process so long and expensiv…

1
The Rugeley Poisoner Pt. 2 35:07

2M ago35:07

35:07

Struggling with gambling and spiraling into debt, William Palmer turned to murder. This week, we continue analyzing the deaths Palmer was accused of, and how the scheming doctor was finally caught. Keep up with us on Instagram @serialkillerspodcast! Have a story to share? Email us at [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices…

1
A new approach for democracy, tracing ancient dead stars and does the soil have a biome? 54:07

2M ago54:07

54:07

Soils are too often neglected but caring for them brings many benefits for plant nutrition, human health and a boost for the farm economy.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
Lab Notes: Should we be putting pig parts in people? 13:27

3M ago13:27

13:27

Hearts, kidneys and now livers — over the past couple of years, surgeons have taken all these from gene-edited pigs and put them in people.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
The Rugeley Poisoner Pt. 1 37:33

3M ago37:33

37:33

In 1855, Dr. William Palmer became one of the Victorian era’s most famous villains – a man who poisoned his own friends and family. But with limited evidence and only one conviction, was Palmer really a serial killer? Keep up with us on Instagram @serialkillerspodcast! Have a story to share? Email us at [email protected]. Learn more a…

1
Net zero carbon emissions – a review of progress 53:17

3M ago53:17

53:17

Nick Rowley reviews out progress towards net zero carbon emissions, Jared Diamond proposes mining the sea floor, and California’s legacy of Albert Einstein.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
Lab Notes: Why have Saturn's rings 'vanished'? 11:48

3M ago11:48

11:48

As far as planets go, they don't get much more iconic than Saturn. A huge golden ball encircled by gigantic rings. But those distinctive rings — the very things that give Saturn its pizzazz — have seemingly disappeared. So what’s going on, and when will they be back?By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
The Eleven Who Went to Heaven: The Case Against Ed Bell Pt. 2 35:22

3M ago35:22

35:22

In Texas, convicted murderer Ed Bell claimed he killed 11 girls between Houston and Galveston back in the 1970s. Reporter Lise Olsen and detective Fred Paige investigated those claims and uncovered eerie ties between Bell and several unresolved murders. In particular, they focused on three cases: all of them, double homicides of teenage best friend…

1
Landscape and islands 54:06

3M ago54:06

54:06

Lord Howe Island may appear an island paradise, but its ecology has been under intense pressure from invasive species such as rats and pigs. Now birds are being found with stomachs full of plastic.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
Lab Notes: The extreme conditions F1 drivers face in a race 13:33

3M ago13:33

13:33

They might be the epitome of cool, but Formula 1 race car drivers can get hot — really hot. An F1 cockpit can heat up to 60 degrees Celsius, and this affects cognition — the last thing you want when you're fanging around a track at 300kph. This year, a new rule was introduced to give F1 drivers a bit of relief from that heat … which is just one of …

1
The Eleven Who Went to Heaven: The Case Against Ed Bell Pt. 1 34:47

3M ago34:47

34:47

Edward Harold Bell was serving a 70-year prison sentence for murdering a man when he sent a letter to Houston reporter Lise Olsen. He told her he’d also killed 11 girls in and around the Interstate-45 corridor between Houston and Galveston back in the 1970s. He named some of these victims and described others with initials, locations, and years. An…

1
Your exposome, Kavli awards and more improbable research 52:12

3M ago52:12

52:12

80% of diseases are impacted by environment or lifestyle described as your exposome. Thomas Hartung expects information from studying the exposome will bring benefits on par with those brought by studying the human genome.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
Lab Notes: 1 in 3 women get this infection. To cure it, treat men 13:05

3M ago13:05

13:05

For women who get bacterial vaginosis or BV, a common condition that can cause a fishy-smelling discharge, many will get it again (and again). Why some people were prone to recurrent BV was a mystery … until now. Australian researchers have shown that BV-related bugs can be sexually transmitted, and treating male partners significantly cuts recurre…

1
Hunting a Serial Killer: The Colonial Parkway Murders 44:25

3M ago44:25

44:25

When a series of double-homicides struck Virginia in the late 1980s, authorities immediately suspected a serial killer. But it took 35 years – and random chance – to find the missing link. Keep up with us on Instagram @serialkillerspodcast! Have a story to share? Email us at [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit p…

1
A crisis, an opera, and one of the greatest photos in history - The AAAS rides again. 54:06

3M ago54:06

54:06

America’s top research institutions face an uncertain future.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
Lab Notes: How Ozempic stops food cravings

4M ago

—

A weekly injection that stops that hankering for hot chips and donuts? Many people on Ozempic and similar medications report this phenomenon, saying they no longer have incessant thoughts about sweets and fried food. So how do these drugs, known as GLP-1 agonists, work in the brain to dial down "food noise" and help people lose weight?…

1
The Lewis Clark Valley Murders 40:10

4M ago40:10

40:10

Five missing people in five years. And that’s far from the only fact that aroused suspicion of a serial killer operating along the Idaho-Washington border in the early 1980s. While some victims have been found, the hunt for the killer is still on. Keep up with us on Instagram @serialkillerspodcast! Have a story to share? Email us at serialkillersto…

1
Naomi Oreskes The Big Myth and a new theory for the origin of black holes 54:05

4M ago54:05

54:05

Naomi Oreskes talks about Donald Trump and her latest book The Big Myth ahead of her visit to Australia in early March.By Australian Broadcasting Corporation

1
Lab Notes: Are we on the brink of another pandemic? 13:24

4M ago13:24

13:24

The H5N1 strain of avian influenza is currently ripping through the US, infecting wild animals, livestock and people. One person has died, and around 70 more infections have been confirmed. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has made massive cuts to the nation's leading science and health agencies, and announced plans to withdraw from the World He…

1
The 10,000 Bones at Fox Hollow Farm 37:32

4M ago37:32

37:32

In the fall of 1994, a 13-year-old boy found a human skull in his backyard. Detectives later discovered thousands more bones scattered about his family's estate, a property known as Fox Hollow Farm. The remains belonged to the presumed victims of Herb Baumeister, an alleged serial killer active thought to be active in Indiana for more than a decade…

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